Egg-throwing incident 'down on the totem pole' of college football infractions, Franklin says

James Franklin said he would deal with the four players who were cited for throwing eggs at a campus dorm but otherwise called the issue minor.

Penn State police cited Wendy Laurent, Garrett Sickels, Anthony Smith and Brent Wilkerson following an incident Thursday at the Beaver Hall dorm on campus. A student reported damage to university, according to police. The citations for summary citations were filed Friday, according to court records.

Franklin said the players 'threw eggs" and guaranteed that the situation would be "fixed." Laurent, who started at center, Wilkerson and Sickels all played Saturday against Maryland. Smith is injured.

"There are a lot of problems going on right now in our society and in college athletics," Franklin said. "Throwing eggs is a little further down the totem pole, in my opinion."

Court records also showed that Laurent, 20, was placed in an accelerated-disposition program Friday for an underage-drinking citation he received in September. Earlier this year, Laurent was fined for summary disorderly conduct.

"We're not going to do anything to embarrass our university or our program or anything like that," Franklin said. "I also know they're kids and they make mistakes."

Hackenberg on coaches: Everything's fine: Penn State quarterback Christian Hackenberg was visibly frustrated on the sideline during several conversations with offensive coordinator John Donovan. Afterward, the quarterback called those moments the price of being competitive.

"Both those guys [Donovan and quarterbacks coach Ricky Rahne], I have a ton of respect for and I'm extremely close with," Hackenberg said. "I trust both those guys with my life. I love working with both of them."

Franklin once again pointed to Penn State's inconsistency at protecting Hackenberg as a fundamental reason for the offense's issues. But the quarterback did complete six consecutive passes on a third-quarter touchdown drive that gave the Lions a 16-7 lead.

Hackenberg also fumbled three times, losing two, and was intercepted for the 10th time this season. The quarterback called the ensuing tense moments a good thing.

"It's the heat of the moment, and all of our competitive flare was showing," he said. "… That's not a problem. Actually, I think that's a positive."

Career day for Ficken: Even with a new holder, senior kicker Sam Ficken had one of the best games of his career. Ficken made four field goals, including a season-long 48-yarder, to help Penn State remain in the game.

"My mindset is, if they send me out, I am expected to make the kick," Ficken said. "The score of the game adds a little pressure on how big the kick is. But in my mind, every kick is important."

Ficken said that, one difference this year, has been occasional practice snaps with backup holder Chris Gulla. Ficken struggled last season after regular holder Ryan Keiser sustained a broken hand that prevented him from holding.

Last year, punter Alex Butterworth replaced Keiser, but Ficken's lack of reps with Butterworth made him uncomfortable. This season, he asked to take more kicks with Gulla holding.

"With Ryan Keiser being out, [Gulla] is doing a tremendous job filling in for him," Ficken said. "When they do their job correctly, it makes my job a whole lot easier, and I have to give them credit for that."

Noteworthy: Running back Akeel Lynch, who made his first career start, had 21 carries, the most for a Penn State back this season. Franklin said Lynch was decisive and running "downhill." … DaeSean Hamilton had 42 yards receiving, giving him 728 for the season. That broke Deon Butler's single-season record for freshman receivers. … For the first time in school history, Penn State has played an overtime game and one-point game in consecutive weeks. … Penn State visits Indiana next week.